Wildlife

Great Egret (Ardea alba) and Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) in the early morning fog in The Woodlands, Texas.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) among the early morning fog in The Woodlands Texas.

Great Egret (Ardea alba) in flight over a smooth lake surface in The Woodlands, Texas.

A flock of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis) at the Beaver Pond on the Spring Creek Nature Trail.

A Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) stands at the edge of the Lake Woodlands spillway which flows into Panther Branch below. The genus name 'Actitis' is from Ancient Greek aktites, "coast-dweller". This bird species is common to the U.S. Gulf Coast and can be found not only along coastal shores, but several miles inland. They are commonly seen scurrying about picking up small insects and other bits of food along the shallow waters edge.

A Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) sits on a rock in the Guadalupe River in the early morning.

Male Bald Eagle watching over nest at Hughes Landing in The Woodlands, Texas

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stands in the shallow waters along the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, Texas. The demand for the feathers of snowy egrets, white ibises, and great blue herons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries made these birds a target. By 1886, more than 5 million birds were being massacred yearly to satisfy the North American millinery trade.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) with bright blue breeding plumage. The demand for the feathers of snowy egrets, white ibises, and great blue herons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries made these birds a target. By 1886, more than 5 million birds were being massacred yearly to satisfy the North American millinery trade.

A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stands in a shallow area along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. Normally though of as coasta birds, Herons are commonly seen far inland in the Texas Hill Country along lakes and rivers. The demand for the feathers of snowy egrets, white ibises, and great blue herons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries made these birds a target. By 1886, more than 5 million birds were being massacred yearly to satisfy the North American millinery trade.

A California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) sleeps on the rocky shore in La Jolla, California.

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) nap on the rocky shore in La Jolla, California.,

A California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) basks in the sunlight on the rocky shoreline in La Jolla, California.